Growing up in a shooting family meant there was always an abundance of meat in the freezer gathered from the field. I enjoyed our game meals as a boy, even if the family recipes weren’t as adventurous as those we use today.
Despite game being a frequent source of meat in my diet, the majority of the meat I consumed was beef, lamb or chicken. This all started to change when I left college and embarked on a gamekeeping career. Living off meagre wages as a trainee soon led me to look to the land to reduce my weekly shopping bill. This included rabbits and pigeon in the summer and daily raids on the game larder once the season was underway. I even helped the game dealer load the wagon, which typically rewarded me with game sausages and burgers for my efforts, a real treat at the time. During this period, eating game instilled the belief in me that it would be possible to gather most of my meat through field sports, and not have to rely on inferior 30-day-old supermarket chicken.
After meeting my partner, Charlie, we made a conscious effort to source the majority of meat for our meals through field sports. We are nearly self-sufficient in this aim, with our only store-bought alternatives being sausages and bacon, typically used to create game dishes. Besides, who can survive without a good old bacon butty now and again?
Versatility
I have come to realise just how versatile wild meat is. Various wild meat, be it partridge, pheasant or rabbit, can be substituted in pretty much any recipe as an alternative to chicken. And wildfowl, venison and pigeon make an excellent substitute in any red meat dishes. We typically process our quarry into different categories for a range of recipes.
Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
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Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Thermal spectrum
Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared
Roe, rucks and new ground
Jon Snowdon and his team have much to keep them busy and a new tool to help them
Tales from a lifetime of foxing
Join Mike Powell as he explores the evolving world of fox shooting, drawing from a career that spans seven decades
Fox rot about Charlie
Patrick Hook responds to claims that fox numbers are dangerously on the wane
The sniff of success
Join Ryan Kay as he navigates the fascinating dynamic between a handler and their canine companion
Adventures of Nick & Ted
A new chapter in the histories of Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter has Nick Ridley reflecting on the dogs he has trained over the years he has been associated with the magazines
The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system
Vet's advice
Gundogs Q&A
No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts
Stop-start!
Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do
Gundogs at the Game Fair
Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice